Public Act 098-0004
 
HB1560 EnrolledLRB098 06098 HLH 36137 b


  
    AN ACT concerning elections.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
    Section 5. The Election Code is amended  by changing Section 
19A-15 as follows:
 
    (10 ILCS 5/19A-15)

    Sec. 19A-15. Period for early voting; hours.

    (a) The period for early voting by personal appearance 
begins the 15th day preceding a general primary, consolidated 
primary, consolidated, or
general election and extends through 
the 3rd day before election day.

    (b) A permanent polling place for early voting must remain 
open during the
hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 9:00 a.m. 
to 5:00 p.m., on weekdays and
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on 
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays; except that, in addition to 
the hours required by this subsection, a permanent early voting 
polling place designated by an election authority under 
subsection (c) of Section 19A-10 must remain open for a total 
of at least 8 hours on any holiday during the early voting 
period and a total of at least 14 hours on the final weekend 
during the early voting period.



    (c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), an election 
authority may close an early voting polling place if the 
building in which the polling place is located has been closed 
by the State or unit of local government in response to a 
severe weather emergency.  In the event of a closure, the 
election authority shall conduct early voting on the 2nd day 
before election day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 
5:00 p.m.  The election authority shall notify the State Board 
of Elections of any closure and shall make reasonable efforts 
to provide notice to the public of the extended early voting 
period. 
    (d) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), in 2013 only, 
an election authority may close an early voting place on Good 
Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, provided that the 
early voting place remains open  2 hours later on April 3, 4, 
and 5 of 2013. The election authority shall notify the State 
Board of Elections of any closure and shall provide notice to 
the public of the closure and the extended hours during the 
final week. 
(Source: P.A. 96-637, eff. 1-1-10; 97-81, eff. 7-5-11; 97-766, 
eff. 7-6-12.)
 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.